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Article Types

Perspectives

Articles should not exceed 3,500 words in the main body of the text or include more than 40 references. Use of subheadings in the main body of the text is recommended. Photographs and illustrations are encouraged. Provide a short abstract (not to exceed 150 words), a 1-sentence summary of the conclusions, and a brief biographical sketch of first author or of both authors if only 2 authors. Articles in this section should provide insightful analysis and commentary about new and reemerging infectious diseases and related issues. Perspectives may also address factors known to influence the emergence of diseases, including microbial adaptation and change, human demographics and behavior, technology and industry, economic development and land use, international travel and commerce, and the breakdown of public health measures. If detailed methods are included, a separate section on experimental procedures should immediately follow the body of the text.

Synopses

Articles should not exceed 3,500 words in the main body of the text or include more than 40 references. Use of subheadings in the main body of the text is recommended. Photographs and illustrations are encouraged. Provide a short abstract (not to exceed 150 words), a 1-line summary of the conclusions, and a brief biographical sketch of first author or of both authors if only 2 authors. This section comprises concise reviews of infectious diseases or closely related topics. Preference is given to reviews of new and emerging diseases; however, timely updates of other diseases or topics are also welcome. If detailed methods are included, a separate section on experimental procedures should immediately follow the body of the text.

Research

Articles should not exceed 3,500 words in the main body of the text or include more than 40 references. Use of subheadings in the main body of the text is recommended (e.g., "Materials and Methods," "Results," and "Discussion"). Illustrations are encouraged. Provide a short abstract (not to exceed 150 words), a 1-sentence summary of the conclusions, and a brief biographical sketch of first author or of both authors if only 2 authors. Report laboratory and epidemiologic results within a public health perspective. Explain the value of the research in public health terms and place the findings in a larger perspective (i.e., “Here is what we found, and here is what the findings mean”).

Articles describing mathematical, economic, or statistical studies have some additional restrictions because readers of Emerging Infectious Diseases may not necessarily have extensive training in these areas. With the increase in submissions of these types of articles, we have developed the following editorial criteria to screen submitted papers.

Must provide information that our audience (public health officials) is likely to find of "immediate and practical" value.

Must reflect the realities of public health.*

Writing style

Should be written in a style most likely to appeal to most of our intended audience.

In the main text, equations should be kept to a minimum, and those that are presented should preferably be written out in words rather than mathematical notation.

Mathematical, statistical, and economic jargon should be eliminated or used sparingly.

In the main text, and in diagrams and tables associated with the main text, mathematical notation should be kept to a minimum.

Technical aspects

Where possible, mathematical, economic, and statistical articles should include a simple schematic diagram outlining the elements in the model(s) and how they are connected.

Models should contain detailed sensitivity analyses. Univariate (1 variable at a time) sensitivity analyses are generally considered inadequate. One goal of sensitivity analyses should be to define which inputs are, within the model, relatively most important.

All articles should contain sufficient description of the methods to allow independent replication of results by another researcher with suitable skills and interest.

Figures should be as simple as possible. The use of color should be kept to a minimum.

It is insufficient to only report p values as evidence of statistical significance. Authors must also report some measure of dispersion (e.g., standard deviations, confidence intervals).

For statistical models, a table of results should provide the results of all the variables used in the model, the statistical significance of each variable, and a measure of goodness-of-fit of the entire model.

*Public health officials have to be practical. Purely conceptual modeling papers, for example, are unlikely to be of immediate and practical value to our intended audience.

Policy and Historical Reviews

Articles should not exceed 3,500 words in the main body of the text or include more than 40 references. Use of subheadings in the main body of the text is recommended. Photographs and illustrations are encouraged. Provide a short abstract (not to exceed 150 words), a 1-line summary of the conclusions, and a brief biographical sketch of first author— or of both authors if only 2 authors. Articles in this section include public health policy discussions or historical reports based on research and analysis of emerging disease issues.

Dispatches

Articles should not exceed 1,200 words in the main body of the text and need not be divided into sections. If subheadings are used, they should be general (e.g., “The Study” and “Conclusions”) may help orient the reader and are encouraged. Provide a brief abstract (not to exceed 50 words), references (not to exceed 15), figures or illustrations (no more than 2), tables (not to exceed 2), and a brief biographical sketch of first author or of both authors if only 2 authors. Dispatches are updates on infectious disease trends and research. The articles include descriptions of new methods for detecting, characterizing, or subtyping new or reemerging pathogens. Developments in antimicrobial drugs, vaccines, or infectious disease prevention or elimination programs are appropriate. Case reports are also welcome.

Another Dimension

Thoughtful essays, short stories, or poems on philosophical issues related to science, medical practice, and human health. They should not exceed 3,500 words in the main body of the text and should include references, if necessary. Topics may include science and the human condition, the unanticipated side of epidemic investigations, or how people perceive and cope with infection and illness. This section is intended to invoke compassion for human suffering and to expand the science reader’s literary scope. Manuscripts are selected for publication as much for their content (the experiences they describe) as for their literary merit. Include biographical sketch or the first author or of both authors if only 2 authors.

Letters

Letters commenting on recent articles as well as letters reporting cases, outbreaks, or original research are welcome. All letters should contain material not previously published. No biographical sketch is needed.

Letters Commenting on Articles

These letters should contain no more than 300 words and 5 references; they are more likely to be published if submitted within 4 weeks of the original article’s publication.

Letters Reporting Cases, Outbreaks, or Original Research

These letters should contain no more than 800 words and 10 references. They may have either 1 figure or 1 table if it is necessary to understand the content; letters should not be divided into sections. No biographical sketch is needed.

Commentaries

Thoughtful discussions (500–1,000 words) of current topics. Commentaries may contain references but no abstract, figures, or tables. Include a brief biographical sketch of the first author or of both authors if only 2 authors. Commentaries are typically invited by the editorial board and address current journal content.

Books, Other Media Reviews

Reviews (250–500 words) of recently published books or other media on emerging disease issues are welcome. Title, author(s), publisher, number of pages, and other pertinent details should be included, as well as price and ISBN number (when applicable).

Conference Summaries

Summaries of emerging infectious disease conference activities (500–1,000 words) are published online only. They should be submitted no later than 6 months after the conference and focus on content rather than process. Provide illustrations, references, and links to full reports of conference activities.

Online Reports

Reports may be published online only on consensus group meetings, workshops, and other activities in which suggestions for diagnostic, treatment, or reporting methods related to infectious disease topics are formulated. These should not exceed 3,500 words and should be authored by the group. EID journal does not publish official guidelines or policy recommendations. Submit an abstract (100 words), which will be published in print as well as online.

Photo Quiz

The photo quiz (1,200 words) highlights a person who made notable contributions to public health and medicine. Provide a photo of the subject, a brief clue to the person’s identity, and 5 possible answers, followed by an essay describing the person’s life and his or her significance to public health, science, and infectious disease.

Etymologia

We welcome thoroughly researched derivations of emerging disease terms. Historical and other context could be included. Submissions are limited to 100 words and 5 references.

Announcements

Submit announcements to eideditor@cdc.gov. In 50–150 words, describe timely events of interest to our readers. Include the date of the event, the location, the sponsoring organization(s), and a website that readers may visit or a telephone number or email address that readers may contact for more information. Announcements may be posted on the journal website only, depending on the event date.

The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.